Dragonair recruits from Taiwan for first time

PROSPECTS:The airline said Taiwan was included in its recruitment drive this year as Taiwanese are known for their language and customer service skills

Staff Writer, with CNA

Interviewees check their make-up during a break in the first round of interviews held by Hong Kong-based Dragonair in Taipei yesterday. About 3,000 hopefuls are vying for 50 flight attendant positions at the international airline.

Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times

About 3,000 hopefuls will be interviewed over the course of three days as Dragonair, an international airline based in Hong Kong, looks to fill 50 flight attendant positions, the carrier said in Taipei yesterday, the first day of interviewing.

Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Ltd (港龍航空), which operates as Dragonair, said it is recruiting staff from Taiwan for the first time.

Of the 3,000 hopefuls, a total of 1,500 people will be selected to attend a second interview later this month, the company said.

The 50 that make the final cut will receive training in June and begin working in August, the second-largest airline in Hong Kong said, adding that the starting salary is about US$2,063 a month.

According to Josephine Hsieh (謝仁仁), Dragonair’s communications director, Taiwanese are known for their good customer service skills and excellent language abilities, which is why the airline has included Taiwan in its expansion plans this year.

Dragonair, which has about 30 service hubs around the world, said about 30 percent of the interviewees are male and everyone that is hired is required to move to Hong Kong.

Anna Majchrzak of Poland, 24, who met her Taiwanese husband in Germany and has been studying Chinese at National Taiwan Normal University for four years, was very interested in becoming a flight attendant.

“It is a perfect job for me since I enjoy being able to serve people,” Majchrzak said, while displaying her university grades to prove her Chinese ability.

“A flight attendant held my hand to calm me down when I experienced turbulence for the first time as a kid. Ever since that day, I have wanted to become a flight attendant,” applicant Chen Mei-ju (陳美儒) said.